Transporter is a pairing of hardware and software to accomplish the goal of having your own personal file storage cloud – but this one scales all the way from a single user to enterprise. Connected Data has been on a bit of a roll these past couple of weeks. First they announced some big updates to their product line:

Here's a look at the old product line:

…and now the new line:

The two middle (and likely most popular) tiers have been replaced with a complete hardware redesign. The units that used to borrow from Drobo design cues are now what appear to be the first round of Transporter-specific multi-HDD units. The specs have also been beefed up for those two models, as both now employ dual Gigabit Ethernet with increased capacity and simultaneous user ratings also increased accordingly. You'll still need to step up to the true business tiers for redundant power supplies and rack mountability, but the 15 and 30 should be great for small businesses or remotely located groups within a business.

The new units are priced at $2499 for the 15 (~6TB) and $4999 for the 30 (~9TB). Full details available in their spec sheet (PDF). Full press blast on the above appears after the break.

Next up is an update to their iOS app:

Updates in this release:

  • Provides storage for your other apps using new iOS 8 Storage Extensions to upload, open, and save files directly to Transporter
  • New VLC video player for enhanced video playback in addition to Apple Player option
  • Faster app startup and additional performance throughout the app
  • New user interface with cleaner layout and folder icons

Integration into iOS's native 'save to' dialog is a welcome addition for an app directly competing with Dropbox.

Finally is the addition of standard links:

Transporter could previously support direct links, but standard links shift the hosting for those shared files to the Connected Data servers. Since direct links are limited by the speed of the Internet connection of the Transporter hosting the data, standard links can be used to speed up the transfer to multiple users. This would be ideal for family photo albums and other non-confidential files.

As you can see above, once standard links have been enabled, you still have file-level control of which shared data passes through Connected Data's servers. This means you can still keep those sensitive files restricted to your own device, which is part of the reason for using one of these.

Good stuff coming from these guys. We're working on sampling one of these new models and will report on our experiences as we make them.

Oh, one more thing – they are running a buy one get one free sale on Transporter Sync. Promo code DOUBLELUCK gets you a free ($99) device! This U.S. only deal likely expires on the 17th.

Connected Data Expands Product Portfolio from Consumer to Enterprise with Release of New Private Cloud File Sync and Share Appliances

New Transporter 15 and 30 Storage Devices Extend Business File Sharing Features, Performance and Capacity to Small Businesses, Departments and Remote Offices

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – February 25, 2015 – Connected Data today released two new private cloud file sync and share appliances that have been designed to deliver critical business-class file sharing features, performance and capacity to small businesses, departments and remote offices. The Transporter 15 and 30 appliances work to preserve the privacy and control of business data while offering users the same benefits and experience as public cloud solutions such as Dropbox and Box.

Designed to protect and secure business data on-site, the new Transporter appliances, support employees’ needs to sync, access and share files from any of their authorized computers or mobile devices while avoiding the backend costs that commonly plague traditional cloud implementations by leveraging their existing infrastructure. Because data is 100% private and stored only onsite, it is the only “cloud” file sync and share solution that meets the compliance needs of legal, financial, government and healthcare organizations. And, because it retains data locally, it meets increasing data locality legislation in countries including Canada, China, Germany, Japan and Russia.

According to an ESG report, Online File Sharing (OFS) and Collaboration: Deployment Model Trends, simple, easy-to‐manage file sharing for collaboration and improved productivity has become an expected part of the user experience in today’s corporate environments. However, organizations struggle to control unintended access to sensitive corporate data while maintaining expected performance characteristics. In fact, when asked about factors driving interest in the ability to retain file data on-premises, more than half of both current public cloud OFS users and potential hybrid or on-premises OFS adopters indicated they wanted flexibility and control over where data is stored. (1)

“While file sync and share technology has greatly improved workforce productivity, its public cloud implementation creates increasing compliance, security and data protection challenges for IT,” said Terri McClure, Senior Analyst, Enterprise Strategy Group. “Many enterprises still want to remain in control of corporate data resources and keep some or all data on premises. Connected Data’s line of Transporter private sync and share appliances have directly addressed these requirements by giving users the file sharing flexibility they want while also supporting IT’s demands for information security and control.”

The new Transporter appliances are an extension of Connected Data’s product suite for the delivery of private file sync and share solutions that also includes the Transporter 75 and Transporter 150. First unveiled in October 2014 to serve the needs of mid-sized enterprises, Transporter 75 and 150 are the first private file sync and share appliances to combine the modern file management features of public cloud storage services with the visibility and control offered by a network-attached storage (NAS) system from vendors such as NetApp. With Transporter, Transporter 15, Transporter 30, Transporter 75 and Transporter 150, Connected Data now offers a complete range of private cloud file sync and share solutions for consumers and businesses of every size.

“The file sync and share market has revolutionized the way users manage and share business content,” said Jim Sherhart, Vice President Marketing, Connected Data. “But the value of file sharing doesn’t come from the cloud – quite the opposite. The value of file sync and share technology is actually inhibited by the lack of security and jurisdictional restrictions inherent with cloud implementations. With our new Transporter appliances, we separate the value of file sync and share technology from the obstacles of the cloud. By putting flexible file management technology into private and secure appliances, we are delivering all the file sharing features users demand with the security and control IT needs.”

The Transporter 15 and Transporter 30 appliances deliver superior security benefits for on-premise cloud and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). The systems support BYOD applications including Transporter Mac App, Transporter Windows App, Transporter iOS App and Transporter Android App. All Transporters are compatible with one another, so businesses can easily leverage any combination of appliances to achieve their file sync and share business objectives. Additional Transporter benefits include:

• “Anytime, anywhere” file access and sharing
• Total control over location and redundancy of data including multi-site replication
• Elimination of the privacy concerns with public cloud storage
• Automatically syncs data between Transporter appliances
• Integrates with Microsoft Active Directory
• Includes versioning, auditing and read-only controls
• Provides up to 24TB of cloud accessible storage per node
• No monthly or per user fees

Pricing and Availability 
Transporter 15, offered for a MSRP of $2,499, includes 8TB of storage (approx. 6TB usable) and supports up to 15 organization users in a sleek desktop form factor. This model offers both drive and network connection redundancy and supports an unlimited number of guest users.

Transporter 30, available for a MSRP of $4,999, increases storage to 12TB (approx. 9TB usable) and includes performance enhancements to support up to 30 organization users in the same sleek desktop form factor. This model offers both drive and network connection redundancy and supports an unlimited number of guest users.

Transporter 75, offered for a MSRP of $9,999, is now available with storage capacity of 12TB (approx. 10TB usable) and the performance to support up to 75 organization users and an unlimited number of guest users.

Transporter 150, offered for a MSRP of $18,999, is now available with storage capacity of 24TB (approx. 20TB usable) and the performance to support up to 150 organization users and an unlimited number of guest users.

For more information, please visit: http://www.filetransporter.com/

Tweet: Connected Data releases new @filetransporter private file sync and share appliances for the SMB http://ctt.ec/eedO3+

About Connected Data
Connected Data, the creator of Transporter, the world’s first private cloud storage appliance, is focused on changing the way consumers and businesses manage their files. Transporter appliances allow customers to privately sync, access, share and protect data at a fraction of the cost of fee-based cloud services. The fast-growing Transporter network includes over 35,000 users managing more than 20 Petabytes of storage all over the world. Connected Data is privately funded and based in Santa Clara, Calif. For more information, visitwww.connecteddata.com.